The unusual incident is shaking assessments in the Israeli Air Force. Pilots warn that even without mistakes, the risk exists on every sortie. Israel had prepared for a scenario in which an aircraft goes down in enemy territory, but the implications now are more complex.
A source familiar with the incident tells Israel Hayom that one of the crew members has been found, as rescue teams are working to locate the second one; This represents the first occasion on which an American warplane was destroyed by enemy fire since the onset of hostilities.
The estimate, CNN reported, includes launchers buried underground by strikes but not destroyed. In addition, about 50% of Iran’s drone capabilities remain intact, and a large portion of its anti-ship missiles threatening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz were not hit at all.
During the holiday, about 20 launches crossed from Iran into Israeli territory and 130 from Lebanon. The IDF continued its strikes in Iran, hitting dozens of ballistic missile sites. The military added it did not strike the bridge reportedly hit near Tehran.
The latest statements by US President Donald Trump only adds to the confusion, and may have been intended to do exactly that. In the absence of an official Iranian response, attention is shifting to developments on the ground: If there is indeed a significant increase in the movement of ships and tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, that could point to advanced contacts.
The decision could leave Tehran in control of one of the world's most important trade routes. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump wants to meet the operation's core objectives, damaging Iran's navy and missile stockpile, within four to six weeks, and then scale back the fighting while shifting to diplomatic pressure.
Amid secret contacts between Washington and Tehran, Iran is trying to tempt the US with a foothold in the oil industry. Diplomatic sources told Israel Hayom that the US is demanding guarantees from the heads of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who in turn oppose the talks. The American plan: direct sanctions targeting the regime elite’s “pockets.”
The US president warned US will "blow up" Iranian oil wells, power plants and desalination facilities if diplomacy fails – even as he insisted negotiations are on track.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, No final order has been given, US officials say, as the president weighs the dangers of a complex, multi-day mission that would require American forces to operate inside Iran.
Iran is nearing the limits of its economic and military capacity, but internal divisions and stalled contacts with the US are delaying any settlement. In the background, the economic crisis is worsening and the regime is under heavy pressure.
